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First, a thorough understanding of the problem. And full answers to the vital question – why do our kids carry knives?

Education, family, early intervention. Then robust policing based on genuine, unarguable data. A mature look at prisons, the court system, sentencing.

A fully joined-up approach, where we work together to tackle this problem.

In the meantime, the Government’s proposed summit is welcome. As is the decision made by ASDA to ban the sale of single kitchen knives by the end of April.

These are measures that will help, but they are not the cure. Deep-set problems are not solved overnight. We need to be sensible about long-term planning.

We need to ask ourselves what we want the long-term picture to look like and start laying the foundations now.

This government could have launched a knife crime strategy almost a decade ago. But it didn’t. Now we will have to wait a decade to find out if it works. And the sad and difficult truth is that for some it will be too late.

Fill us in, Phil

Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond's Spring Statement could give a few clues as to Government's direction on knife crime (Image: PA)